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Hatton joins Olympic Canoe Sprint Team

Teneale Hatton has been selected as the sixth member of the New Zealand Olympic Canoe Sprint team and will compete in the women’s K1 500m.

Hatton was named to the team today after convincing selectors she met the tough New Zealand Olympic selection criteria after positive performances on the European World Cup circuit.

New Zealand Olympic Committee Secretary General Kereyn Smith said Hatton had clearly met the top sixteen criteria.

“We looked at Teneale’s rankings after this year’s World Cup events in Poland and Germany,” she said. “While she finished 19th at last year’s World Championships, she has demonstrated significant recent improvement and performed strongly at the World Cups in Europe. She has beaten five of the top sixteen athletes at least once this season and is now ranked twelfth on the Olympic tables. She is a talented athlete showing fast improvement and tracking for big future in the sport.”

Hatton missed being named in the initial canoe sprint selection announcement which took place in May but the extra time on the water has paid off.

Canoe Racing CEO Paula Kearns said Canoe Racing NZ was delighted with Teneale's selection to the Olympic team. “Teneale's recent performance improvement was witnessed in her World Cup results. She raced hard and has proved to the selectors that she deserves the chance to contest the women's K1 500m at the Games.

“Canoe Racing NZ is committed to providing world class high performance programme that is athlete focused, coach led with best practice integrated support services. This is to ensure that our high performance athletes are given them the best opportunity of success. Teneale is a young paddler with incredible potential and a very bright kayaking future in front of her."

Teneale , who is 22 and from Queenstown, is currently studying at the University of Auckland. For more information on Teneale see http://www.canoeracing.org.nz/2012-london-olympics/teneale-hatton